A transfer window that promised so much has disappointed so much for West Ham.
What the Hammers needed was clear – a striker and a centre-back. They signed nobody.
Fans are frustrated and there are concerns this could ruin the rest of the season as well as destroy any chance the club had of competing with the ‘big six’.
West Ham have failed to sign a player in the January transfer window. Here is our thoughts.
The strange thing is there was money to spend. We have been led to believe there were chances to sign players, like Czech striker Adam Hlozek or even a deal for Duje Caleta-Car if West Ham put enough money on the table, instead we only wanted loans.
Signing players in January is well-known for being tough but it was the scatter-gun and passive approach that has annoyed everyone. We seemed to be interested in every player in Ligue 1 but never submitting a substantial bid as an example. Then come the end of the window there were big money offers for Leeds duo Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, as well as Benfica striker Darwin Nunez. Not only were these unlikely, the enquiries were done when it was far too late for a deal to ever happen they felt like phantom bids. Then for the passivity, waiting until the final days is not proactive, nor is not identifying clear targets in advance, it doesn’t get business done early and things can back fire. You can end up panicking and be left with nobody – that’s what has happened.
In my opinion, a combination of all David Moyes, Rob Newman, as well as the board like David Sullivan and David Gold are to blame. The strategy has been all wrong from everyone.
❌ Lingard
— mark carlaw (@markcarlaw) January 31, 2022
❌ Caleta Car
❌ Nunez
❌ Diaz
❌ Origi
❌ Philips
❌ Ekitike
❌ Carvalho
❌ Broja
❌ Barbosa
❌ Raphinha
✅ Destroying the best chance we have had as a club to compete with the elite, keep the best DM in the world and finally be a success
West Ham simply don’t have enough squad depth. In the defeat to Leeds, Andriy Yarmolenko, Arthur Masuaku and 17-year-old Sonny Perkins were subbed on to change the game. That is not good enough off the bench and it highlights we’re a few injuries away from being in serious trouble with the starting XI. It’s time to give Armstrong Oko-Flex a chance.
This whole situation reminds me of when West Ham failed to kick on the from the successful season in 2015/16 (the last at Upton Park). The Irons had European football but signed multiple poor players, progress was lost, Dimitri Payet departed and the club fell apart only for Moyes to rebuild it.
If West Ham fail to do well in the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, given the position the club is in it would be a failure. Not kicking on will only make our best players like Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen want to leave. That is the big long-term danger, it gives the perception of a lack of ambition.